Most machines for washing articles, such as dishes or laundry, require a detergent as the cleaning agent. This detergent is available in several forms including liquid, gel, powder, and tablet. Regardless of the form of the detergent, the active cleaning agent within the detergent may be chlorine-based or enzyme-based. The current approach washes the articles the same way, regardless of whether the detergent used is a solid-type or liquid-type, or whether it is chlorine-based or enzyme-based. This approach may not maximize the effectiveness of the detergent used, which may result in sub-standard washing. Thus, there is a continuing need for a machine that exploits the efficiency of the detergent used during the wash-cycle.